Mike Vischer
Michael Benjamin Vischer (born June 16th, 1966 in Muscatine, Iowa) is American voice actor, puppeteer, writer, animator and songwriter. He is best known for creating the series ShapeTales and Big World with his partner Phil Nawrocki. In 2007, Mike started expanding the company with JellyTelly and produced a new series called What's In The Bible. He is currently living in Wheaton, Illinois with his wife Lola and two daughters, Sydney and Shelby, and his son, Jeremy. "Departure" from Big World Since after the production of their first feature film was complete, a lot of fans thought Mike left the company and wasn't interested working there and thought he hated his past work, and even some crew members believe the rumors for a while. However, Mike states this is not entirely true and this what he said in his podcast. During the production of Jonah, the company was in financial trouble due to various events (eg. HiT Entertainment trying to sue them after buying the rights from Lyrick Studios). Around that time, they hired a lot of people to help out with their productions before they went bankrupted. There was one new guy who was a new producer and thought he was king, but then one production he was working on wasn't going well, which resulted the project being shut and made the new producer really mad. Just as the company was being bankrupt, the producer thought Mike was the problem for not letting the crew members doing what they want. So when Classic Media brought the company afterwards, the producer place in their contract that Mike should stay away from being CEO. When Mike had a meeting with the owners, he suggested that he should remain as CEO. But this was overturned when John and Eric wanted the company to move somewhere in Nashville and they only wanted Mike as a consultant, and give him an office allowance so he can stay in Chicago. What the producer put on the contract is that if Mike came back, he'll walk away and stop making the shows. So during the next few years, Mike wrote some books and created both Jelly Telly and What's In the Bible. Sometime afterwards, Classic Media was brought by Entertainment Rights from London and Mike thought he'll get an opportunity. But then months later, the company was brought by two other guys and because of it, a lot of cuts had to be made at Big World. Fortunately much later, John and Eric brought the company back and thought he'll get another opportunity and possibly join both Jelly Telly and Big World together. However, things didn't go well as the head of the company stated they're not interested in Jelly Telly (and possibly shut it down) and didn't want to continue What's In the Bible?. Mike still wanted to continue his current show, so he rejected the offer. In 2011, Mike heard in the trades that both John and Eric were selling the company to Dreamworks, so he waited for a phone call from them if they're interested in being involved in Big World again. However, he never received one from anyone there. Regardless, Mike stayed in the company doing voices and wrote some episodes after the bankruptcy. Written * Where's Circle When I'm A-Afraid? * Circle Wants Me To Entertain Them!?! * Are You A Muppet? * Issac, Tyler, & Gabriel * Jimmy Neutron and the Giant Robot * The Mater That Surfed Christmas * QBT Alvin! And The Green One-Eyed Monster From Underwater! * Timmy and the Humongous Structure! * QBT Alvin and the Gruesome Robot * King Alan And The Giantesses * Ellen... The Girl Who Became Queen * Stanley The Gentle Robot * Comma-Man: A ShapeTales Movie * The Oval of Christmas * A Doddle's Tale * King of the Circles * The Fantastic Blizzard of Zo's * The Emotions Who Don't Do Nothing * Huckleberry Alvin And Circle Sawyer's Big Donkey Rescue * Saint Petersburg: A Story of Joyful Giving (co-written with Roger G. Lee and Phil Nawrocki) Directed * Where's Circle When I'm A-Afraid? * Circle Wants Me To Entertain Them!?! * Are You A Muppet? * Issac, Tyler and Gabriel * Jimmy Neutron and the Giant Robot * The Mater That Surfed Christmas * QBT Alvin! And The Green One-Eyed Monster From Underwater! * Timmy and the Humongous Structure! * QBT Alvin and the Gruesome Robot * Comma-Man: A ShapeTales Movie Voices * Jimmy * Fear * Pa Circle * Mr. Rick * Jimmy Cylinder * Mr. Rectangle * Phillipe Rectangle * Pyramid #1 * Tom Circle * Grandpa Alan * Mike Winkelstein * Apollo Octogon * Goliath Fun Facts * Mike is a fan of the B-52's and Monty Python, which he often used jokes or references to them in his work. * While in the making of Where's Circle When I'm Afraid?, he and his wife were in financial struggle. * According to the DVD commentary of Jimmy Neutron and the Giant Robot, he stated that the desert environment, along with the space environment used in episode 3, were the easiest environments to create at the time. * He started Big World with nothing more than his Bible college friend Phil Nawrocki, two interns Chris Olsen and Robert Ellis, and one computer in his spare bedroom. * In episode 36 of his podcast, he was often known as "Flip" by his family. According to his mom, this was because when you say "Phillip" fast, it would sound like that. Mike had trouble dealing on his name for a while. * Started making short films with his family's Super 8 camera when he was eight years old. * He once met John Lasseter during a Siggraph convention sometime in 1980s' according to his autobiography. * He along with Phil Nawrocki flunked out of St. Paul's Bible college. * He did all the designs of the sets and characters for every show up until The Mater That Surfed Christmas. * His favorite movies are The Hudsucker Proxy ''and ''Brazil. Works at Big World * Where's Circle When I'm A-Afraid? * Circle Wants Me To Entertain Them!?! * Are You A Muppet? * Issac, Tyler and Gabriel * Jimmy Neutron and the Giant Robot * The Mater That Surfed Christmas * Very Shapey Songs! * QBT Alvin! And The Green One-Eyed Monster From Underwater! * Timmy and the Humongous Structure! * Madame Triangle * The End Of Silliness? * QBT Alvin and the Gruesome Robot * King Alan And The Giantesses * Ellen.. The Girl Who Became Queen * 3-2-1 Walruses! * Stanley The Gentle Robot * The Ultimate Shapey Song Countdown * Heroes of the Bible! * Comma-Man: A ShapeTales Movie * Comma-Man Sing-Along Songs and More! * The Oval of Christmas * QBT Alvin: The Cartoon Adventures * The Awesome World of Shape-Tainment! * The Ballot of Miss Georgia * An Easter Carol * A Doddle's Tale * Hour of the Triangle * Dan and the Great Cookie War * Minnasota Sylvester and the Search for Samuel's Combrush * King of the Circles * Sherlock Holmes and the Golden Egg * QBT Alvin and the Bad Hexagon * Richard: Bunny Warrior * Dome and the Big Escape * Circle Made You Special * The Fantastic Blizzard of Zo's * The Emotions Who Don't Do Nothing * Lessons From The Shape Caper * Huckleberry Alvin And Circle Sawyer's Big Donkey Rescue * Abe The Record * Minnasota Sylvester and the Search for Patrick's Umbrella * Saint Petersburg: A Story of Joyful Giving * Shapey Little Thing Called Love * Bobby- The Little Sponge That Woodn't * Sleeping Betty: A Girl After Circle's Own Heart * It's a Beautiful Light * Happy Together! * Twas The Evening Before Christmas * ShapeTales Live! Sing Yourself Shapey * Twilight Sparkle and Her Stepsisters * Alvin Learns to Listen * Jimmy Lends a Helping Hand * The Little Drumstick Man * ShapeTales in the House * If I Sang A Shapey Song * Robin Could and His Not-So-Merry Maid * The Ponyless Princess * Little Ones Can Do Big Things Too! * The League of Unforgettable Shapes * Lettuce Love One Another! * The Little Shack That Stood * MacAlvin and the Smelly Sock Battle * Merry Alvin and the True Learning About Christmas * Shapes in Space: The Funnel Frontier * Circle Night Fever * Beauty and the Seats * Oval's Bark * ShapeTales in the House * ShapeTales in the City * Alvin And The Museum * Riddler On The Roof * QBT Alvin and the Demon Suit